Ashton Hagans will play for the Wildcats next season, and Tyrese Maxey, who committed to Kentucky on Wednesday, will wait to begin his collegiate career until 2019.*

*Subject to change.

That's where it's at right now and that works great for Kentucky and coach John Calipari.

Hagans, the top junior point guard in the country who committed last month, will turn 19 in July. He eyed competition at McDonald's All American Game festivities in March and later told his pops he could handle anybody in the senior class.

He can't say it yet (AAU rules forbid the truth coming out here) but the 6-foot-4 native of Covington, Georgia will be at Kentucky before September. Maxey could be, too, but that's not likely after he announced his decision to remain in the 2019 class in a USA TODAY blog post.

"I know that may shock some of y’all but for me it came down to me just wanting to be a kid for my last year of high school," Maxey wrote. "I just wanted to be around all of my friends and all of my family one last year and I don’t want to pass that up."

Nothing wrong with that.

And there are obvious advantages for Kentucky if Maxey (a 6-foot-3, 185-pound standout from Garland, Texas) showed up later instead of sooner. Having a five-star point guard pledged this early helps bolster a class that already has (the soon-to-be member of the 2018 class) Hagans and four-star small forward DJ Jeffries on board. There's peace of mind that comes with locking in a lead guard that's expected to be on campus through at least spring of 2020. And it helps that No. 1 overall 2019 player and top Kentucky target James Wiseman has a relationship with Maxey.

Why mess it up by bringing in yet another five-star point guard early (which, in the Hagans hypothetical, would give Kentucky four – along with Quade Green and Immanuel Quickley – on the roster next season)?

Because more is better. There will always be more five-star point guards, but there's only one next season. And, just for the sake of discussion, that's why Kentucky pursued Maxey with the idea he could enroll and play this season or next.

The rise of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is the most recent example of pleasant surprises and talented depth covering for holes we never thought Kentucky would have.

You know the tale: Gilgeous-Alexander was the seventh-highest rated recruit of eight in the Wildcats' 2017 signing class. But he emerged as the alpha and will likely be a lottery selection in the NBA draft next month.

You see, this time of year all we talk about is the best version of each player. Remember last spring?

Hamidou Diallo was the greatest athlete in the country quickly developing his feel for the game. Green was a Tyler Ulis-like leader. Kevin Knox, PJ Washington and Jarred Vanderbilt could play every position on the court effectively. Jemarl Baker was one of the best 3-point shooters in the country.

Same thing is ongoing about the next wave.

Keldon Johnson is an ultra competitor. Quickley is a versatile, strong-minded leader. Tyler Herro is one of the best 3-point shooters in the country. Hagans attacks the basket relentlessly and is mentally tough.

All those things may be true. That would be great for Kentucky.

But, as we saw last season and for years before, things change.

Baker and Vanderbilt got hurt. Diallo slumped. Green was moved off the ball. Knox and Washington needed time to find their voice and to chisel roles.

That's why a four-star combo guard in Gilgeous-Alexander, who played in the Kentucky Derby Festival instead of the McDonald's All American Game, was so important. We just didn't know it until we did.

(Plus, we still await word on if Washington, Vanderbilt and Wenyen Gabriel will be on the team or playing professionally next season. They're not guards, but the roster and Kentucky's style of play could drastically change pending those decisions).

So, unlikely as it is, should the plan change and Maxey join early, don't worry about how a logjam on the perimeter is going to work out. Instead, be glad there's another option to employ when one, two or everything we believe to be true changes come November.

And bask in yet another five-star point guard recruiting victory in the Calipari era. The list is impressive…